Stella Rosevelt — page 284: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

278 DEFEATED. ‘*No; you are wide of the mark; although I am not sur- prised that a designing woman like yourself should jump at such an absurd conclusion. But, lest you should wound her by your foolish insinuations, I will tell you that Star is the grand- daughter of the only woman whom I ever loved; and, there- fore, you perceive that I had additional cause to be displeased with you on account of your unkindness to her.” — Really, Mr. Rosevelt, you have more of sentiment in your composition than I gave you credit for. ‘There was a love- passage, then, in the old bachelor’s life!” sneered Mrs. Richards, while an angry flush mounted to her brow. Then, with more bitterness than she had yet betrayed, she continued, with a look at Star: ‘‘T can congratulate Miss Gladstone upon being more suc- cessful in wheedling you out of your fortune than she was in her maneuvers to become Lady Carrol.” This was a cruel thrust, and wholly unexpected on the part of either Mr. Rosevelt or Star. A shiver of agony ran through every nerve of her body at this rough probing of the still unhealed wound, and a painful crim- son shot over her beautiful face. But it quickly subsided, leaving only the bright spots on her cheeks. She arose from the chair where Mr. Rosevelt had placed her, drew herself up proudly, her eyes gleaming as bright as the diamonds in her ears, and, entirely ignoring the coarse woman’s ‘malicious thrust, she looked up at her companion, and said, in her clearest, sweetest tones : ‘‘Uncle Jacob, I believe we were going out to see the illu- mination.” ‘¢’True, child, true,” he said, taking her white-gloved hand and laying it upon his arm, while he cast a dark look upon his niece for her cowardly attack. ‘‘Come, we will go at once ;” and with a formal inclination to Mrs. Richards and her ~ Eomicbooks.co